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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process control management system for manufacturing processes, and more specifically, to a method, apparatus, and program for scheduling processing steps in manufacturing processes using relational database technology.
2. Description of Related Art
Production printing, mailing and print-on-demand are manufacturing processes that produce books, magazines, brochures, statements, letters, invoices, direct mailings and many other forms of printed materials. Generally, these types of manufacturing processes require data and raw materials as input and provide finished goods and production management statistics as outputs. Manufacturing such printed materials includes the steps of pre-processing the data, committing the data to paper, and post-processing the paper.
Many manufacturing processes are complex and may include over 100 steps that must be properly sequenced from step-to-step. Often, these manufacturing processes are characterized by a high degree of variability, distribution across local and wide area networks, and numerous heterogeneous data processing devices (e.g., servers, workstations, computers, etc.) and production devices (e.g., printers and inserters).
One particularly complex manufacturing environment is the large mail room operation environment. In such an operation, a variety of documents must be printed, fed along conveyor lines for correlation with other documents to comprise the particular mailing, processed through devices which may trim the documents, fold them, place them in envelopes and place them on trays. An address may be printed on the envelope. The operation may include a weighing mechanism to determine the postage that is needed and place the postage on the envelope. There are machines to sort mail according to zip codes and by walk-sequence, i.e., the sequence that a mail carrier will follow delivering mail along a particular route. Finally, the outputs may be boxed according to the location to which they are sent and delivery automatically ordered for the next airplane leaving for that location.
It is not unusual for these types of operations to include several computers, data storage systems, printers from many different manufacturers and complex inserting equipment capable of merging documents from several paths into one stack for folding, cutting, inserting, franking, sorting, and packaging. Many of these large mailing operations are required to produce mailings with outstanding quality while optimizing throughput on the equipment, minimizing errors in the mailing, and reducing the cost per finished piece. This can be accomplished by providing a self-scheduling production process.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a self scheduling manufacturing process.
A system, method, and program for controlling a manufacturing process is described. A highest priority work item having a ready status for a processing step is retrieved from one or more relational database tables. The processing step is performed by either a processing device or by a work flow management system having one or more work managers. Upon completion of the processing step, the status of the work item in the one or more relational database tables is updated to a completed status of the processing step. The completed status of the processing step represents a ready status for a new processing step.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the highest priority work item having a ready status for the processing step is retrieved by querying one or more relational database tables. The relational database table(s) includes at least one row for each work item to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with the work item(s). Furthermore, the highest priority work item having the ready status for the processing step is determined by ordering one or more attributes of the work item being processed.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a highest priority print file having a ready status for print pre-processing is retrieved from one or more relational database tables. Print pre-processing is performed on the print file. Upon the completion of the print pre-processing, the status of the print file is updated to a completed status for print pre-processing, which represents a ready status for printing. Additionally, a highest priority print file having the ready status for printing is retrieved from one or more relational database tables. The print file is then printed. Upon the completion of printing, the status of the print file is updated to a completed status for printing, which represents a ready status for print post-processing. Furthermore, a highest priority print file having the ready status for print post-processing is retrieved from one or more relational database tables. The print file is then print post-processed. Upon the completion of print post-processing, the status of the print file is updated to a completed status for print post-processing.